


T.H.A.N.E.

by MissAmiraDancer



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alien Biology, Assassination, Character Death, Character Development, Destroy Ending, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Gift Exchange, Gift Fic, Interspecies Romance, Interspecies Sex, Mass Effect Holiday Gift Exchange, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sleepy Cuddles, This Was A Lot of Fun!, non-canon elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-02-27 23:22:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13258764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissAmiraDancer/pseuds/MissAmiraDancer
Summary: My gift for KnifeofDaudwall on Tumblr for the Mass Effect Holiday Harbinger Gift Exchange! I wanted to challenge myself when I wrote this, so every letter of Thane's name is a theme, and the word of that theme has to be used in that chapter. This collection ranges from when they first met, to after the Crucible is fired. In somewhat chronological order. One smut chapter, the rest are rated T-M. I hope I did Charley Shepard justice! Enjoy!TouchHostageAlive (Smut, Thane P.O.V.)NightmareEnding





	1. T: Touch

‘ _Finally’_ I thought as we entered the top, penthouse part of Dantius Towers. _‘This assassin better damn well be here.’_

“Shepard?” Nassana turns around, a small look of shock gracing her stern face, “But you’re dead!”

 _‘This bitch.’_ I smirk, crossing the room to stand in front of her desk,

“I got better.”

“And now you’re here to kill me.” Her tone flattens out even more, her mercs readying their guns. I hear Miranda and Tali ready theirs behind me.

“Maybe I just missed you?” She snorts and turns around to face the rising sun, throwing her hand down and away from me.

“Screw you, Shepard.”

“Charming as ever.”

“I’m sure you find this all very ironic.” She turns her head around to glance at me sideways. “First you kill my sister, and now you’re here for me.” I can tell she’s anxious, because she fully turns around to pace back to us. “Well, you made it this far. Now what?” Her praise is faint.

“You really think I’m here to kill you?” That seems to light a fire under her.

“Do you have any other reason for destroying my towers? Decimating my security?”

_‘Ugh. How many times will it take to get it through that thick skull of yours?’_

“I’m just looking for someone.”

“You really expect me to believe that? Is it credits? Is that what you want? Just name your price, we can make this problem all go away.” She’s really bothered now, pacing in front of the desk like a caged animal.

“All the credits in the world won’t make this problem go away, Nassana.” I cross my arms to her, and she repeats the motion back, giving no ground.

“Who the hell gave you the right to play God? I might not be perfect but look at you; we both kill people for money,” She does a sharp turn then, her back once again facing me, tone laced with disdain, “What’s the difference?”

 “You brought this on yourself; I wouldn’t stop it even if I could.” That gets her attention as she whips back around to face me. _‘Did I just hear a thud?’_ I wanted to look up, where I thought I heard the noise, but my focus needed to stay on the increasingly restless Asari in front of me.

“What do you mean? Of course you can stop it. Just don’t-what?” She turns to the Asari commando on her left, who also heard the noise, looking up and around for it.

“I heard something.”

“Damn it.” Nassana throws her hands down to the desk in front of her. “Check the other entrances.” I watch as the other Asari moves off to the side, an Eclipse moving to where she once stood, leaving one man at Nassana’s back. She points to me, “And you, stay put. When I am finished dealing with-” But the rest of her words are lost to my ears as Thane makes his entrance. I find myself counting how many times his hands make contact with his targets.

 _‘One, both hands at once, a single snap of the neck and down.’_ Thane is a green and black blur, making no noise. _‘Two, three, a hand at his back and quick jab to the throat, collapsed airway, he’s gone.’_ He doesn’t even touch the Commando, but fires his gun, a clean, point-blank shot to the head. I didn’t even see him draw his sidearm. He somehow knocks Nassana’s pistol out of her hand, grabbing it in mid-air, and _‘Four, one hand at her back to keep her close.’_  Nassana gasps, shocked at how quick this has all played out. Fool doesn’t even realize her own gun is at her abdomen when he shoots her down. _‘Five, six as he lays her down on the desk, almost…reverent? What the hell is this guy?’_ Thane crosses her hands, one over the other ‘ _seven, eight,’_ before stepping back, folding his own hands, closing his eyes to, _‘Praying? Now of all times?’_ As annoyed as I am for waiting so long to meet him, my voice is quieter than usual when I ask,

“I was hoping to talk to you.” He doesn’t even open his eyes, just a small shake of his head.

“One moment. Prayers for the wicked cannot be forsaken.” His voice is deep, with a rough, almost dual-toned quality like Garrus.

“Nassana and her men deserved what they got.” He opens his eyes up, huge black sclera surrounding a tiny, what looks to be deep green-grey iris, and locks my gaze.

“Not for her, for me.” He comes out of his pose then, walking around the desk, left hand gliding along the top of it, silent as his footsteps. “The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone. Take you for instance. All this destruction, chaos. I was curious to see how far you’d go to find me.” I take a quick look to Nassana’s body, still as stone on the desk before Thane steps in front of it, arms behind his back. “Well. Here I am.” The rising sun backlights his frame, casting almost a halo around him, his eyes focused on me.

“How did you know I was coming at all?”

“I didn’t,” his rough voice comes in even tones, “not until you marched in the front door and started shooting.” He crosses beside me to stand in front of Miranda, not caring that her gun is aimed to him. “Nassana had become paranoid; you saw the strength of her guard force.” A quick glance back at me before he looks away. “She thought one of her sisters would kill her. You,” there is a slight pause to his speech, “were a valuable distraction.” I furrow my brow at his words,

“You used me, so you could kill her!” He turns for a look back in my direction,

“I needed a diversion.” A small turn of his head to meet my eyes, “You needed to speak with me.” I nod at my squad and they relax, weapons returning to their holsters. _‘Alright, fair enough.’_ He turns fully to me now, “You certainly fulfilled your end of the bargain; what would you like to discuss?” I tell him of our mission to stop the collectors, he tells me of his terminal, yet non-contagious disease. He assures me that he has plenty of time left, and agrees to our mission.

“Many innocents died today. I must atone for that.” He extends his odd, four fingered hand, “I will work for you Shepard, no charge.” We shake hands, and I give him a stern nod of my head.

 _‘Nine. Not even ten touches and we’re out of here.’_  When he, Tali and Miranda turn to walk out ahead of me I pause, scrunching up my face. _‘Wait. Why am I counting myself?’_


	2. Hostage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not canon. My take on what would have been nice to see if you had Thane with you during this scene. (Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC, Hostage Scene)

 

_‘Shit. Doesn’t this damn bitch know when to give up? Shouldn’t she have bled out by now?’_

“P-please, I have a son.” Vasir moved her gun up to Marianna’s head, her hostage now openly crying, tears making black-outlined tracks down her cheeks, ruining the woman’s make-up.

“You hear that Shepard? Aw, a son. I hope he gets to see you again.” I heard Liara lower her pistol, saw her movement in the corner of my eye, and I suddenly got the sense that Thane wasn’t behind me or at my side.

 _‘Now is really not the time, Krios.’_ The thought crosses my mind before I speak.

“Let her go Vasir. You don’t have to do this.”

“All you had to do was walk away.” The Spectre had fixed her eyes on me, and moved to say something else, but I didn’t hear her as a familiar shape dropped down from the archways above, biotics at his hands, two steps to draw in close, one hand to back of her head, one around the front.

_Crack!_

In the relative silence of the outdoor bar, the sound was almost deafening. As was the thump the Asari made as she hit the floor of the patio, motionless. Marianna gasped, trying to scramble away from him, more tears sliding free; but Thane, calm as ever, caught her wrist, the other hand supportive on her shoulder.

“Relax, it’s all over with now. I’m with them.” He nodded towards where Liara and I were standing. “Go on. Go home to your son, hold him close, and try your best to forget all that happened here today.” He gave her a small, but genuine smile, those huge eyes softening. Trying his best to convey his empathy and _yes, I know what it is like to have someone, a child at home, and to get myself into a situation where it’s doubtful I’ll see them again._

“T-thank you, sir.” Marianna’s voice was rough with tears and worry, but she turned to us, “you two, as well.” She picked up the fabric of her dress and took off running.

“Well, then.” Liara started as she walked towards where Thane was holding out the information disc.

_‘I didn’t even see him grab it off her body.’_

“I remember reading about your talents in the files that came across my desk, sere, but seeing it in person…well. That’s something else entirely.” Thane gave a short, professional bow.

“Thank you, Ms. T’soni. I am a master.” His tone was flat, but held gratitude for her praise. He walks past me, in the direction where we parked the skycar. “I’ll be waiting.” He murmurs to me, turning his head in my direction while walking past. Liara catches up to where I stand, looks at me, gives a sideways smirk, shakes her head, and follows Thane around the corner.

_‘I wish all hard missions ended that quickly. Too bad Liara won’t let me live this down.’_


	3. Alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUT. Thane's point of view.

“Thane,” she pauses, holding one of her hands in mine, the other cupping my cheek, “Be alive with me tonight.” We pull each other into a kiss, light at first, then deeper, and I can feel the hunger behind her actions. We part for a moment and stare into each other’s eyes, when I move so quick she hardly anticipates it, and my mouth is on her cheek, down her neck, back up to her mouth. This surprises her, and she moans a little, before playing right back. Her mouth moves to ruby ribbing on my throat, nipping lightly and sucking a little bit. A gasp followed by a growl sounds from me, hands gripping tight on her jacket. Both of us decide to move together to the bed. She goes to pull me down with her, but I spin us at the last moment, making her land on top of me. She lets out a yelp, surprised by my actions. I know how wide my eyes are blown, and Charley’s mirror my own, deep chocolate irises darker than normal. I start to undo her casual uniform, pleased to find only a sports bra underneath of it, also with a zipper in the front. I hear her chuckle, voice low,

“See anything you like?” I pull her closer to me so our faces touch.

“Yes,” I’m a little surprised at the pitch of my own voice, not having it go this low and deep for a lover in well over a decade, “I adore all of it.” A deep blush coats her well-tanned skin, turning darker as we dive into another languishing kiss. Her tongue and mouth are agile, an otherworldly flavor, but not at all unpleasant. I am reminded at how naturally wet human mouths are. I feel her deft hands working at the latches on my outer coat and vest, my fingers go to join hers, helping her. I sit us both up so we can shed our clothing, leaving us both topless and bare. Her intake of breath is sharp.

“Thane…” Volume a whisper, tone full of wonder as her fingers trace the natural dark markings up my arms. Eventually her hands land on my wide necklace. She speaks up again, voice still quiet, “I’ve always wondered about this. Everything about you is made to blend into shadows. Your guns are painted dark, matte colors, all the buckles on your coat and vest are scuffed as to not reflect light. But this…” she pauses while tracing the simple engraving on the platinum, but not moving to take it off. “This is different.”

“My wedding torc.” Her hands pull away as if burnt, but I put them back on it. “It’s alright. I don’t mind.” After a few more minutes of tracing it, her eyes meet mine.

“Platinum?”

“Yes. I had Irikah’s custom made, hers was much more ornate than mine. To show my commitment and affection for her. Her family was- not the most approving of me as her chosen match.” Shepard nods, hands moving to trace more muscle, lips following it. Her legs move to straddle me and I feel the heat from here, and a moan escapes me. Both us are far more eager now, undoing the other’s pants.

“Oh!” Her soft voice exclaims when she sees and feels nothing beneath mine. “Ah-a.” _Kiss._ “Wasn’t expecting that.” _Another kiss_. I give a low laugh,

“And I was not expecting these.” I snap the band of her plain underwear against her skin. “Off, siha.” Though I’ve watched her on the battlefield for months, I am still surprised by how fast she can move when she wants. As Charley stands up to shed the rest of her clothing, I squirm to take off mine, my length already hard and eager for her. I watch her kneel before me, “Charlotte I-” but words leave me as her mouth and tongue wrap around the shaft. A long, sighing moan replaces what I was going to say. She plays and experiments with me, my body different from what she’s used to. Similar enough in length and girth, but different in texture and color. She takes me lower into her throat and my hands hold the base of her neck, brushing her hair out of the way. Perfect memory or no, I focus as much as I can. _‘Memorize every detail.’_ Soon my cock is glistening with her saliva, and she pulls back, a wicked grin on her face as she comes up to kiss me again. I fight back this time, my sharper teeth sinking into her lower lip. I revel in her ensuing moan, her body relaxing enough that the junction of her thighs rests on my own. _’Gods help me she’s soaked!’_ My free hand goes down to rub and tease. I had read up on the materials Mordin sent me, and drew upon my prior basic knowledge of human female anatomy. Between our heated kissing comes her voice,

“Oh, Thane…” Her own hand strokes me off, squeezing and playing with pressure, pulling a little towards the tip. I groan but my fused fingers slip in all the way and she seizes around me, muscular inner walls gripping the digits. “Thane!” her cry lifts my heart.

“Yes my Siha?” I fuck her with my hand, quick, but not hard until I feel her body relax around me more. She only pants and whimpers for me. My thumb finds her clit and drives it up and down. Her groaning voice becomes a louder moan.

“Thane please!”

“Please what?” My voice takes on a deep, lustful tone.

“I want you. All of you.” Those earthy colored eyes, stretched wide with lust lock onto my own. My fingers withdraw at once upon her request. I suck them clean, a low growl coming from my throat at her flavor. _‘Perfect. Such a compliment to your scent. And after, I will eat you alive.’_ Charley straddles my hips, her bronzed skin a pleasant contrast to my green shaded scales. Our hands meet on my dick as we guide our bodies to meet together. Both of us moan and pull the other into a passionate lip lock. I match whatever pace she sets for me, only speeding up when I feel her muscular inner walls release me from their clinging grip. My hands map every curve they can reach, my rhythm never faltering. We fuck, grind, bounce and _love_ with each other until running the edge of orgasm becomes too difficult.

“Charlotte, oh, I’m not going to last.” I can tell the way I say her name makes her only want more, because she shudders. Her voice takes on a much higher pitch, breath coming in ragged gasps,

“Thane, oh fuck, fuck, fuck, oh Thane I-” her words are cut short by a full on scream. Her body clenching around me, walls moving and flexing with her orgasm. My own climax is pulled out from me by her. I give a low cry, my juices flooding her. I hold her close after, petting her black hair to calm her down. We share one, final soft kiss. I lay us down,

“My siha.” I begin, brushing the errant strands back behind her ear, “I’ve not felt this alive in a long time.” She smiles. A true genuine smile and tucks into my collar bone.

“Me too.” Comes the whisper from beneath my chin.

 


	4. Nightmare

When the night cycle turns on in the Normandy, Thane comes up to my room. I still let him have the privacy of the Life Support room, and it helps me keep this room not as dry all the time. But at night, the temps go up, the humidity goes down and he enters my room. I gave him the passcode to it so he can enter the locked door at will.

 _‘Not that he couldn’t find another way in here if he really wanted to.’_ But the resident assassin was a private man, and thus respected other’s privacy just as much.  I sigh, change into my sleeping tank top and shorts, when he comes in.

“Good evening Charlotte.” He comes over and kisses me, soft yet passionate. On the inside, I still shudder a little at whenever he calls me by my full first name.  He pulls away from my lips, but hands still around my waist, “come on,” he says, “tomorrow is a traveling day and I’ve asked both Mr. Moreau and EDI to not disturb us until later in the morning.” An eyebrow raises.

“I’m sure Joker took _that_ the wrong way.” Thane’s expression didn’t change.

“If he did, he did not show it outwardly to me.” I smile and walk us over to my, now our, bed. Thane sleeps in light clothes, simple shorts like me. No shirt to let the scales on his chest breathe. I let him get comfortable first, then I join, finding an easy position at his side. Even in the very dim light, the scales of his bare arms almost shimmer as he drapes the sheet and light duvet over us. A kiss to my forehead. “Sleep well my Siha. Your rest is well deserved.” I smile.

“Good night Thane.”

When he’s up here, tranquil sleep comes easy.

Keeping it that way, however, does not.

_Black. That’s all I see. A black void around me, Alchera below reflecting the light of the distant sun, backlit by the exploding Normandy._

_“No, no, no, no, no!” I want to scream as the hiss of precious oxygen leaks out of the holes in my hardsuit and into the nothingness of space. The alarms in my suit are but a distant ringing compared to that horrendous rush of life-sustaining air leaving my only means of survival._

_The cold always comes next. Even with the ship’s fiery death mere meters away from me; I’m deathly cold. The numbness in the extremities is first, then my legs, down my arms as the insatiable coldness marches towards my vital organs._

_‘Shepard!’ The voice of my suit-comm strikes me as odd. It was never a man’s voice._

_My breath comes in sharp gasps now. Shallow pants as my lungs demand oxygen that doesn’t exist here._

_‘Shepard!’ The voice is much louder and more urgent. Another explosion from the Normandy rocks me even in the weightlessness of space. “Must have been the fires reaching the drive core.” That’s when I feel it before blacking out, the slow, inexorable pull of Alchera’s gravity. Falling through the abyss to land on rock and ice below._

_Black. That’s all I see._

_‘CHARLOTTE!’_

I jolt awake at the use of my first name, warmth flooding my senses as the rush of adrenaline fades.

“My dear,” it’s Thane. His voice coated with worry, “that was a horrible nightmare. It’s alright now.” I stare at him before it all kicks in and I cry a little in his arms. “Shh…” his warbling echo is soothing and I stop my tears within a few minutes. “It’s only a dream, Siha. Nothing can hurt you here in my arms.” I nod into his chest before speaking.

“It was the SR1 again. Of me dying the first time.”

“I can only imagine what that was like. I’m sorry you went through that, Charley.” I hug him tight as he soothes me back to sleep.

“With your perfect memory, are your dreams perfect too?” A small quirk to his lips as he brushes back my now mussed up hair.

“That would take a while to explain. In the morning love, I promise.” He gives another soft kiss to my forehead. “Rest well my Siha, and I hope you have no more nightmares.” I snuggle to him, too exhausted from the intense dream to respond. The blackness that surrounds me now is a more than welcome one.


	5. Endings

The explosions all around me only increased the throbbing in my head, but were loud enough to be a momentary distraction from the pain surging in my body. The glow of my omnitool bright orange as it records and shows my flagging vital signs.

 _‘Well everyone, guess this is it.’_ I recognize that I’m falling, but don’t hear or feel myself hit the floor. I’ve fought death before, and can feel my body losing that fight now. Too much damage, too much stress. Too little time. So I do the only thing I have time for.

 _’God please, let me have done enough, let my deeds and actions save all who are left. Let these damn oversized bugs from Dark Space be sent into Hell, and never come back._ ’ I think of the crew of the Normandy, current and past, and I find tears, pent up emotion just releasing itself, though I don’t have the strength to sob.

 _‘Joker, I’m sorry about EDI. If you and the ship make it out, please forgive me.’_ I think about my twin sister, my cousin, and all my other family.

 _‘I hope I made it all okay for you guys. I’ll be meeting up with Mom and Dad soon. Be strong.’_ And finally, as my conscious starts to go dark, as the noises from the explosions and collapses around me seem so distant, and pain fades, I think about Thane, the tears turn from salty drops of sorrow to ones of joy, and a smile crosses my face as darkness consumes my mind for the last time.

 _‘I’m coming home. Meet you across the Sea._ ’

 

 

“Hey!” The voice, slightly dual-toned, but definitely female, seems distant. I groan, try to grip the floor beneath me to find only sand.

 _‘But I was in the Crucible? How did?’_  More sounds come to me now, the crashing of waves meeting the shoreline that I was apparently resting on. The water of them, warm and easy, splashing at my bare feet.

 _‘Wait water? Where the fuck are my boots?’_  I try to move, and a pair of hands steadies my motion.

“Easy now, take it slow.” It’s the same voice. I open my eyes to blinding summer sunlight, and wince a little out of reflex, but find that the shock of my eyes adjusting from dark to light doesn’t hurt. “You want to try and stand up?” Her voice is soothing, but steady. I nod, and she gets herself under my armpit, eases me to my feet. Still no pain, or even effort to stand, just a lightheaded sensation. A soft breeze caresses my skin, and I let out a contented sigh, closing my eyes a little at the pleasant feeling before I realize that something is amiss.

 _‘Wait. I shouldn’t be able to feel a breeze on my bare legs and arms. Where is the rest of my armor? What the hell happened?”_ My eyes snap open, and I look to where my help came from. A short Drell woman, deep brass colored scales, and even darker markings, standard ruby webbing on her throat, but her cheek ridges are much larger and stick out farther than a man’s. Her pinkish-orange irises, still set in deep midnight sclera, meet my gaze.

“Hello there! Welcome to the waking world.” I twist my face.

“That what this place is called?” She lets out a short laugh, smile breaking out. It’s a bright, cheerful sound. And if I’m being honest with myself, a welcome one.

“Hah! No. I thought you Humans were good with metaphors and jokes? Guess it doesn’t matter now. Can you stand okay? You looked more than a little dizzy getting up.” She carefully withdraws herself from my side, letting me stand on my own. I kick my legs back, shift my weight around. I roll my neck, which for once doesn’t crack. I roll my right shoulder, then my bad left one. _‘Still no pain? No odd grinding sound? I’m not complaining, but what is this place?’_

“Yeah, I’m a lot better, thanks for helping me.” Her smile stays, but gets a little smaller.

“You’re welcome. Come on, you could use some clothes, our house isn’t far.” I look down at myself, not completely naked, but clad only in a breezy white skirt that reaches my knees, slit up both sides to my mid-thigh, and close fitting, also white, athletic style crop top. _‘How did I not realize that?!’_ I was too lost in thought that I didn’t realize my only source of help had walked on ahead of me.

“Are you coming?” Her voice calls. I break into a run to catch up. Too in awe and shock to ask for her name, I follow. The beach path fades away to a lush desert oasis. I can’t tell for how long we walk, but soon a simple colony house comes into view.

“I take it that’s yours?”

“Mhmm.” She nods, and walks up the cool metal stairs, the door opening automatically for us. “Hey! We’re back!” Her voice carries with ease through the small, but cozy space.

“I’ll be right there!” Comes the reply that makes me gasp. _‘Holy shit no. It can’t be. I know that voice!’_ But it was. Thane, almost sprints down the stairs to where we stood in the living room. I rush to him, jumping up and he catches me with ease as I burst into tears. “Welcome home, my siha.” His voice has lost the rough edge given to it by illness. Now it is the warmest I’ve ever heard it. We kiss, deep and long until a thought crosses my mind.

 _“Our house isn’t far.”_  My eyes snap open and I push away from him.

“Something wrong?” He brushes my hair back behind my ear. I shake my head, try my best to dry the errant tears. He puts me down. I turn around, looking at the one who brought me here, will my strength to speak. I steady my voice not to break, but my words are still quieter than I want,

“You’re her, aren’t you?” She smiles again, and the grin splits her whole face “You’re Irikah?” She nods, comes over to hug me without hesitation. My eyes really start the waterworks now. I feel Thane close behind me, an embrace from the two of them, one on each side.

“Welcome home, Charley. I hope this is the ending you wanted.” I nod, one hand holding hers and the other going up to squeeze the back of Thane’s neck.

“It’s a better, brand new beginning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTES: This was inspired on an old sketch comic I saw somewhere on Tumblr of Thane introducing his wife to Shepard after she crosses over, and Shep starts crying with joy. I figured I’d do it the other way around.   
> IF YOU KNOW THE ART/ARTIST PLEASE TELL ME SO I CAN LINK IT HERE! Thank you!

**Author's Note:**

> I know this scene has been overdone, but I wanted to present it in a different, more detailed light.


End file.
